AZ tourism offering great 'Staycation' packages

PHOENIX - If low hotel prices are not enough to book a vacation, get ready for some great package deals.

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AZ Tourism offering great 'Staycation' deals - azfamily.com's Ryan O'Donnell reports the AZ Tourism Dept. is offering some pretty good deals at local hotels so that even if you can't go out of town, you can have fun at a hotel.

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A survey was done, not just in Phoenix but across the state, and what was found was that people wanted more. If you search the internet for cheap hotels, you will find a ton of them but for many people the savings right now still is not enough to actually book a room.

David Sanchez, a Phoenix resident, says, "Maybe throwing in a nice breakfast, maybe at their signature restaurant and not just muffins and bananas."

Like a lot of people right now Sanchez wants to spend less and possibly vacation nearby if, of course, the price is right. He explains, "It might only be five miles from home, but it's nice to stay overnight, kennel the dog for the day, you know, or the night."

Getting people, like Sanchez, to book a room was the main topic at this year's Arizona Governor's Conference on Tourism, a statewide seminar bringing, hotels, restaurants and entertainment venues together. Sherry Henry, director of Arizona's Office of Tourism tells 3TV, "What we're really encouraging is leveraging and partners."

Despite a few people enjoying a summer vacation she tells 3TV tourism is considerably down still in Arizona. She also says many people have called her office desperately looking for help. "We encourage them to partner with attractions, partner with your local restaurant down the street, think of ways to have added value."

That is exactly what Sanchez was saying earlier. He wants low room prices, a few freebies and you have got yourself a deal. Sanchez admits, "It's not even so much that the rate is the best or if there's a third night free or something like that, yeah, little comps like that."

The Arizona Office of Tourism has package deals on its website. 3TV found free rooms, free breakfast and even free cabanas by the pool. To check out some deals, go to the .